Description:
Block of limestone, shaped to form the arch of a door. 
Text:
Inscribed above the arch within a rectangular recessed panel (w: 0.96 x h: 0.39), at the left-hand, surviving end of which is a bow-shaped, moulded feature.  
Letters:
Capitals, lapidary to irregular: 0.04-0.05. 
Date:
A.D. 244-246 (reign) 
Findspot:
Upper Sofeggin Basin : Saniet Duib; In the gasr, on the Wadi Duib, 40 km. South East of Zintan (map ref. U 7335), the left half in situ over the entrance doorway, the right half re-used in the later walling which flanks the doorway on the left.  
Original Location:
Unknown 
Last recorded location:
Findspot 
Bibliography:
Goodchild and Ward Perkins, Journal of Roman Studies, XXXIX: 91-2, pi. xn; L'Année Epigraphique (Revue des Publications épigraphiques relatives à l'Antiquité romaine: annual supplement to Rev. Arch.), 1950:128. This edition taken from J. M. Reynolds and J. B. Ward-Perkins, The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania, Rome: British School at Rome, 1952.  
Text constituted from:
Transcription (Reynolds, Ward-Perkins) 
Imp(erator) Caes(ar) 〚 [M(arcus) Iulius Ph]ilippus 〛 inuic̣tu[s Aug(ustus)]
eṭ 〚 Ṃ(arcus) Ịul(ius) P̣[hilippus〛 Ca]esar n(oster) regionem limi[tis Ten]-
theitani parṭiṭam et ẹ[ius] uiam incursib(us) barba[ro]-
rum constituto nouo centenario 〚[·· ? ··]〛
5 〚[··]Ạ[·]〛Ṣ prae[cl]userunt Cominio Cassiano leg(ato) Aug(ustorum)
pr(o) pr(aetore) Gaḷlican[o ·· 6-7··] u(iro) e(gregio) praep(osito) limitis cura
Numisii Maximi domo [·· 4··]sia trib(uni)
IMPCAES〚[·····]ILIPPVS〛INVI·TV[······]
E·〚··VL·[·········〛···]ESARNREGIONEMLIMI[········]
THEITANIPAR·I·AMET·[····]VIAMINCVRSIBBARBA[···]
RVMCONSTITVTONOVOCENTENARIO〚[·· ? ··]〛
5〚[··]·[·]〛·PRAE[···]VSERVNTCOMINIOCASSIANOLEGAVG
PRPRGA·LICAN[···· 6-7··]VEPRAEPLIMITISCVRA
NVMISIIMAXIMIDOMO[·· 4··]SIATRIB
<ab>
<lb n="1" />
<expan>
<abbr>
Imp
</abbr>
<ex>
erator
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Caes
</abbr>
<ex>
ar
</ex>
</expan>
<del>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
M
</abbr>
<ex>
arcus
</ex>
</expan>
Iulius
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ph
</supplied>
ilippus
</del>
inui
<unclear reason="" >
c
</unclear>
tu
<supplied reason="lost" >
s
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustus
</ex>
</expan>
</supplied>
<lb n="2" />
e
<unclear reason="" >
t
</unclear>
<del>
<expan>
<abbr>
<unclear reason="" >
M
</unclear>
</abbr>
<ex>
arcus
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
<unclear reason="" >
I
</unclear>
ul
</abbr>
<ex>
ius
</ex>
</expan>
<unclear reason="" >
P
</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost" >
hilippus
</supplied>
</del>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ca
</supplied>
esar
<expan>
<abbr>
n
</abbr>
<ex>
oster
</ex>
</expan>
regionem
limi
<supplied reason="lost" >
tis
</supplied>
<supplied reason="lost" >
Ten
</supplied>
<lb n="3" type="worddiv" />
theitani
par
<unclear reason="" >
t
</unclear>
i
<unclear reason="" >
t
</unclear>
am
et
<unclear reason="" >
e
</unclear>
<supplied reason="lost" >
ius
</supplied>
uiam
<expan>
<abbr>
incursib
</abbr>
<ex>
us
</ex>
</expan>
barba
<supplied reason="lost" >
ro
</supplied>
<lb n="4" type="worddiv" />
rum
constituto
nouo
centenario
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="unknown" unit="character" />
</del>
<lb n="5" />
<del>
<gap reason="lost" extent="2" unit="character" />
<orig >
<unclear reason="" >
a
</unclear>
</orig>
<gap reason="lost" extent="1" unit="character" />
</del>
<orig >
<unclear reason="" >
s
</unclear>
</orig>
prae
<supplied reason="lost" >
cl
</supplied>
userunt
Cominio
Cassiano
<expan>
<abbr>
leg
</abbr>
<ex>
ato
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
Aug
</abbr>
<ex>
ustorum
</ex>
</expan>
<lb n="6" />
<expan>
<abbr>
pr
</abbr>
<ex>
o
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
pr
</abbr>
<ex>
aetore
</ex>
</expan>
Ga
<unclear reason="" >
l
</unclear>
lican
<supplied reason="lost" >
o
</supplied>
<gap reason="lost" extent="6" unit="character" extentmax="7" />
<expan>
<abbr>
u
</abbr>
<ex>
iro
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
e
</abbr>
<ex>
gregio
</ex>
</expan>
<expan>
<abbr>
praep
</abbr>
<ex>
osito
</ex>
</expan>
limitis
cura
<lb n="7" />
Numisii
Maximi
domo
<gap reason="lost" extent="4" unit="character" />
sia
<expan>
<abbr>
trib
</abbr>
<ex>
uni
</ex>
</expan>
</ab>

3, uiam: obuiam, as suggested in Melanges de l'Universite Saint Joseph, XXVIII (1949-50) 316, is not a possible reading, since an upright is visible after <<et>>. ; peruiam is a possible alternative.

5, Aug(ustorum): AVGG.

Translation:

Emperor Caesar [Marcus Julius] Philippus (names erased), unconquered [Augustus] and Marcus Julius P[hilippus] (names erased) our Caesar, by building a new fort [·· ? ··] (erased) preserved the area distinguished as the frontier district of Tentheis (?Tentheitanus), and the road along it, from the attacks of barbarians; Cominius Cassianus, agent of the emperors with propraetorian powers and Gallicanus [·· c. 7 ··], of equestrian status, in charge of the frontier, Numisius Maximus, whose home town is [·· c. 7 ··], tribune, saw to the work.

Commentary:

ll. 1-2. M. Julius Philippus, Caesar. 244, 245, 246.

l. 5. For Cominius Cassianus, see also Birley, JRS XL (1950) 60ff.

Photographs:

Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXIII.20)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXIII.20)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXIII.22)
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR (BSR 48.XXXIII.22)
Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR
 Ward-Perkins Archive, BSR

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